


I'll Meet You at the Intersection of Hopes and Dreams

by ChibiYoda



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: ABO dynamics, Alpha Bruce, Fluff, M/M, Omega Tony, Science Boyfriends, Science Bros, This Is My Ship and It Has Wrecked Me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-21
Updated: 2017-02-21
Packaged: 2018-09-20 16:35:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9500309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChibiYoda/pseuds/ChibiYoda
Summary: Inspired by a prompt or an imagine about Tony building a nest for different teammates. I was more drawn to the idea of Bruce doing something on that order for Tony.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not well-versed in the world of ABO, so consider this ABO-light. Just sort of trying it out. :)

This was crazy and Bruce knew it. He paced nervously in the hallway outside of the room adjacent to the penthouse's master bedroom. Chewing on a fingernail, he debated having JARVIS inform Tony that he'd made a mistake and didn't need Tony's help with something after all.

But then how would he be able to undo all of the changes he'd made without Tony accidentally stumbling upon the process? It had been easy to do all of this while Tony was out of town. Now that he's back home there's no way that Bruce could keep him away from this area long enough for Bruce to erase the evidence of his trespass.

He heard footsteps on the stairs, and when Tony appeared at the top Bruce realized it was now pointless to fret about it. He had to go through with it.

 

To look at him, you'd never peg Bruce for an Alpha. He displays none of the typical traits. He doesn't walk with his head held high, preferring not to meet other's eyes whenever possible. Rather than his presence commanding attention, he shrinks from it. He isn't self-assured or cocky. He won't take charge, or butt-heads with anyone. Honestly, Bruce himself is astonished that he's an Alpha. 

On the other hand, no one would question Hulk's alphaness. He's about as in-your-face with it as a being could get.

But where do you think he gets it from?

After the accident, Bruce had to tap into an inner strength that he never knew he had. Survival skills kicked in. A cunningness that kept him safe and alive took over. If performing an unsavory act meant the difference between health or harm, he'd quietly and efficiently remedy the situation. He he did what was necessary, adding each encounter to his never ending list of transgressions for which he owed penance. His ability to protect and provide for himself allowed him to exist on his own, under less than ideal conditions, for years. If that isn't Alpha material, then what is?

But considering himself a failure in his career and a liability to society had humbled Bruce to the point of unrecognizability as an Alpha, both to himself and to those around him.

Instinct, however, never departs. Bruce may not carry himself like an obvious Alpha, but he's got it where it counts whether he realizes it or not. And that's what makes him exceptional.

 

Tony breezed down the hallway toward Bruce. "Geez Bruce, if you wanted an invitation to my bedroom you could have just asked. Trust me, you didn't need to lure me here with the damsel in distress ploy. And shouldn't I be the one using that old chestnut anyway?" 

 

Tony always made fun of his Omega designation. He wasn't exactly the poster child for his kind. His boisterous personality was decidedly un-omega. The fact that he was a genius billionaire added to the oddity. Yet even Tony Stark couldn't completely buck biology. He had the right parts, but the wrong attitude. Which explains why he was still unattached as his age. Who wants an Omega that could give any Alpha a run for their money? A completely self-reliant Omega with a smart mouth wasn't exactly an appealing combo to the ordinary Alpha. 

Tony Stark doesn't do ordinary, anyway.

 

Tony's teasing was met with a lopsided grin from Bruce. "You're the furthest thing from a damsel in distress."

"Damn right." Tony nodded once in satisfaction. "So, it doesn't look like you need my assistance with anything out here in the hall. What happened? Did you hulk-out in my bedroom or something? What were you doing in my bedroom in the first place? Not that you're banned from it. But if you're in there, I'd kinda like to be in there with you. Seems more fun that way." He winked mischievously.

Bruce knew it was now or never. Before he let the banter sidetrack him, he took a breath, then placed a hand on Tony's shoulder. "Tony, I need you to be serious now. I want to show you something, and I want you to keep an open mind. Can you do this for me?"

Sensing a particular tone in Bruce's voice, Tony veered from spunky to calm. "Of course, Bruce."

 

This was as close as either of them came to displaying their innate traits. Normally Bruce wouldn't dream of imposing his will on someone, in even the slightest way. And Tony only tempered his liveliness when it suited him. But it had become second nature to Bruce to gently guide Tony's actions when he thought it was best. Remarkably, Tony never hesitated to take his direction. They had been fast friends with an easy rapport from the very beginning. It never occurred to either of them that maybe, in some small way, they had been behaving with each other the way nature had intended.

 

Bruce moved his hand from Tony's shoulder and extended it toward the door nearest him. "As you can see, we aren't actually at your bedroom."

Tony cocked his head. "This room? There's nothing in there. I haven't had a need for it."

Bruce tried to tamp down his nerves while his mind revisited all the reasons why this was most likely a bad idea. How could he possibly hope to prove worth to someone who had more of everything than Bruce will ever have in his entire life? But in his heart this made sense to him. He wasn't looking at it as his only chance, rather that this was the chance that was meant for him. "I was hoping that we could give it a purpose." He opened the door and lead Tony inside.

Bruce paused a few feet inside the doorway, but Tony was too astonished to stand still, and ventured further in. 

Feeling compelled to begin pleading his case, Bruce began. "Look Tony, I know you don't need me for much outside of friendship and science. You have everything you need, and then some. Intelligence, money, status...beauty."

Tony felt his cheeks heat after the compliment.

"You're more than capable of taking care of yourself. You don't need an Alpha for any of that. And your strengths are precisely why I believe that you and I could have something special together."

Tony's breath hitched at the declaration, even though it was quite obvious to him from the minute they stepped into the room what Bruce had in mind.

Tony had kept this room vacant intentionally. There had been no reason to furnish it. To this day there hadn't been an Alpha who'd given Tony any real consideration. There would be little for an Alpha to do in a relationship with him. It's probable that they'd be mocked for having an Omega that was so comparable to an Alpha. That definitely wouldn't sit well with 99% of the Alpha population.

But there is an exception to every rule, and right now he's doing his best to impress the Omega.

Tony was in awe of the way that Bruce had transformed the room that had always been meant to be a nursery but seemed would never achieve that title. The first thing that struck him was the color. "Green?" he questioned.

The walls had been painted a cheerful spring green. Of all the colors on the spectrum, Tony would have never guessed Bruce would pick this one.

Bruce shuffled a foot. "I don't have much experience in interior decorating, so I took some cues from my mother."

Tony hid his surprise. Bruce didn't often talk about his mother.

"It's the color that my nursery was. She chose it."

Stunned at the coincidence, Tony blurted out, "I guess she would have liked Hulk then."

Bruce thought about it for a moment. He knows Tony meant it good-naturedly, but he may have touched on something deeper. "You know, I think she would have, too. Like you always say, he's a part of me." His eyes wandered off momentarily. "My mother would have accepted him long before I did."

Tony gave Bruce a knowing smile, then began to wander around. Bruce had done a splendid job with the decor. It was incredibly sweet. He stopped at a gorgeous white rocking chair, touching the headrest and giving it a light push. He watched it sway back and forth. 

"It's similar to the one my Mom had," Bruce offered. "She adored it. I hoped you might, too."

Silently, Tony moved on to the crib. All of the furniture was white like the rocker. Looking down into it, a wide grin filled his face. "An Iron Man blanket? What if it's a girl?"

"Don't you think that a little girl would be just as proud of her father as a boy would be?"

"I want a Hulk version, too."

"If you wish."

A mobile of stars and planets floated above the crib. "I had one just like it," Bruce remembered fondly. "Took me a while to hunt it down. Have you ever been on eBay? You can find anything on it."

Tony moved along slowly, thoughtfully, running his finger across the smooth surface of the dresser, squeezing a plush panda as he passed, while Bruce remained frozen in the spot where he'd come to rest when they first entered.

"I've always wanted a family, but ruled it out long ago." Bruce admitted. "I knew there wasn't an Omega on the face of the earth who not only wouldn't be too frightened of me, but one who I in turn wouldn't be as equally scared of accidentally harming. But you've never been afraid of me. And you're more than capable of protecting your family in any situation." He shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe I could protect you while you're doing that." Bruce held fast to a heavily restrained hope. "I promise no more running. I promise to be by your side. To provide you with anything you may need or want that I'm capable of obtaining."

Tony studied Bruce's face. There was a softness to it that he can't recall ever seeing before. He sees a glimmer of hope in his eyes, but just behind it, the expectation of being let down. He wonders how someone can be so beautiful when all they've ever known is despair. "Bruce, you've just given me exactly what I wanted."

Bruce lit up. "You like the room then?"

"No, not that." It had been a quick offhanded reply, and Tony immediately recognized his error when he saw some of that light begin to fade. "Oh, no, I don't mean it like that. It's gorgeous. I could not have done better. But more than that, it's what the room stands for that I'm thrilled about. Bruce, since day one I've wished that you would feel at home here. I've had a blast being best buds with you, and I'd be lying if I said that I haven't entertained the thought of you and I being something more. But at the end of the day, what was most important to me was that you'd stay. I wanted you to have a life again, and I really wanted it to be here. I could see that you've been acclimating. You seemed to be at least a little happy. But this," he looked around the nursery, "this is confirmation. You're comfortable enough to think of the tower as your home. Then you took it upon yourself to turn a small corner of it into something you wanted. And in doing this, you've shared a part of your past with me. That's icing on the cake!"

Tony's explanation was so touching that many of the reservations that Bruce had been holding on to started to dissolve. He chanced a cautious smile. "Does this mean what I think it does then?"

Tony wanted Bruce to say the words. He needed to hear it straight from the horse's mouth. "Well, I can hazard a guess as to your intentions. But this is one area that I admittedly don't have much experience in, so maybe you could clarify things for me, just to be safe."

Bruce now had the motivation to take a few steps forward to meet Tony, and Tony swears to himself that on the occasions when Bruce gives confidence a try he actually stands a hair taller than him. 

"I've never experienced anyone like you, Tony. Never even imagined someone like you. And be certain, you are an experience. In the very best sense of the word. You are incredibly special, and I'm extraordinarily lucky that no one else has figured that out yet. I can be myself with you, if not completely without fear, then with a hell of a lot less of it than at any time in my life. You bring me some peace. Lovely moments, when I believe for a while that I can have what I want and maybe it will work out. With you I have a fighting chance for it." He reached out a hand, which Tony accepted. "I want you to be my Omega. I want to have a family with you. In whatever form it might take. We've accomplished a lot in science together, but emotion is a field neither of us has mastered. I think we can learn about it together, and be just as successful. I love you very much, Tony." Bruce took a second to catch his breath before jumping the last hurdle. "So...will you be mine?"

Tony was overwhelmed. In a matter of a few minutes his life had completely changed. Now it was their life. And nothing had ever felt more natural to him. He found he had nothing to say. No words to improve upon a perfect scene. His body leaned forward, letting Bruce's arms wrap around it. And when his head was nestled on his shoulder, Tony whispered a simple "Yes" into Bruce's ear.

He could feel Bruce smile as he held him tighter.

After a few luxurious moments of reveling in the realization that they were now a 'we', Tony sweetly suggested, "We should go shopping for that Hulk blanket." He sighed contentedly. "I have every confidence we're going to need it soon."


End file.
